NBA NOTEBOOK Allen happy to be out of Milwaukee

NEW YORK  Former Connecticut standout Ray Allens memories of his days in Milwaukee with George Karl are not fond ones.

Staff and wire reports

Published 12:00 am, Thursday, August 14, 2003

"I started despising him," Allen said of Karl, who was fired as coach of the Bucks this summer with one year remaining on his contract. "We sat down a lot, but it always ended up being him talking and me listening."

Allen, in an interview following his practice with the U.S. Olympic qualifying team, looked back on the 6½ years he spent with the Bucks before he was dealt to the Seattle SuperSonics in February for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason.

"The only people I feel sorry for in this whole situation is the city of Milwaukee, because potentially the team can be moved if the senator sells the team," Allen said, referring to Bucks owner Herb Kohl. "Glenn (Robinson) gets traded, I get traded and Sam (Cassell) gets traded and the team goes downhill."

Knicks sign Lampe

NEW YORK  Maciej Lampe, the first pick in the second round of the NBA draft, signed a contract with the New York Knicks after reaching a buyout agreement with Real Madrid of Spain.

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward played on the Knicks summer league teams in Boston and Utah, averaging a team-leading 12.9 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Lampe, 18, had been playing professionally in Europe for the past two seasons with Real Madrid and Real Madrid II in the Spanish League and Universidad Complutense in the Swedish League.

Projected as a first-round pick, Lampe attended the draft and waited in vain throughout the first round to hear his named called.

When the first 29 picks had been made, the partisan crowd at Madison Square Garden screamed "We want Lampe!"

Kidd refutes report of Martin trade demand

NEW YORK  Kenyon Martin of the New Jersey Nets did not demand a trade, according to teammate Jason Kidd.

"I dont think K-Mart ever said Pay me or trade me. He told me he never said that," Kidd said, suggesting that the leaked trade demand was an ill-advised negotiating ploy.

"Sometimes people say things to get attention or probably thought they were handling it the right way, and unfortunately that wasnt the way to handle that situation," Kidd said.

Martin reportedly issued a trade demand after the Nets offered him a $66 million, six-year extension  about $21 million less than the maximum allowable amount sought by Martins agent, Brian Dyke.